Traveling robot, traveling robot control method, and program

Abstract

There is achieved a traveling robot configured to travel by switching between leg driving and wheel driving while suppressing a decrease in velocity in switching between the leg driving and the wheel driving. The traveling robot includes a drive unit, a clutch configured to switch a transmission destination of a driving force from the drive unit, a leg and a wheel that are configured to be driven by the driving force from the drive unit, and a control unit. The control unit executes, in drive switching between leg driving and wheel driving, travel velocity control before the drive switching such that a travel velocity after the drive switching is substantially equal to a travel velocity before the drive switching. The control unit sets, in the drive switching between the leg driving and the wheel driving, a sliding movement state in which the wheel is caused to slide in a non-driven state. The control unit executes, in the drive switching, acceleration processing before the drive switching such that a travel velocity after the drive switching is substantially equal to a travel velocity before the drive switching.

1 . A traveling robot comprising:
 a drive unit;   a clutch configured to switch a transmission destination of a driving force from the drive unit;   a leg configured to be driven by the driving force from the drive unit;   a wheel configured to be driven by the driving force from the drive unit; and   a control unit,   wherein the control unit executes, in drive switching between leg driving and wheel driving, travel velocity control before the drive switching such that a travel velocity after the drive switching is substantially equal to a travel velocity before the drive switching.   
     
     
         2 . The traveling robot according to  claim 1 , wherein the control unit sets, in the drive switching between the leg driving and the wheel driving, a sliding movement state in which the wheel is caused to slide in a non-driven state. 
     
     
         3 . The traveling robot according to  claim 1 , wherein the control unit executes, in drive switching from the leg driving to the wheel driving, acceleration processing by changing a leg drive mode when executing the leg driving before the drive switching such that a travel velocity in the wheel driving after the drive switching is substantially equal to a travel velocity in the leg driving before the drive switching. 
     
     
         4 . The traveling robot according to  claim 3 , wherein the control unit causes kicking motion to be executed by the leg, as the acceleration processing. 
     
     
         5 . The traveling robot according to  claim 1 , wherein the control unit executes, in drive switching from the wheel driving to the leg driving, acceleration processing by changing a wheel drive mode when executing the wheel driving before the drive switching such that a travel velocity in the leg driving after the drive switching is substantially equal to a travel velocity in the wheel driving before the drive switching. 
     
     
         6 . The traveling robot according to  claim 5 , wherein the control unit executes, as the acceleration processing, control of increasing a rotation speed of the wheel. 
     
     
         7 . The traveling robot according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a lock mechanism for the leg,   wherein the control unit executes, in the wheel driving, processing of keeping the leg fixed to the lock mechanism.   
     
     
         8 . The traveling robot according to  claim 1 , wherein the control unit performs, in drive switching from the leg driving to the wheel driving, control of using the driving force from the drive unit for leg movement processing for fixing the leg to a lock mechanism. 
     
     
         9 . The traveling robot according to  claim 1 , wherein the control unit executes, in drive switching from the leg driving to the wheel driving, acceleration control when executing the leg driving before the drive switching, by considering a decrease in velocity in a period in which leg movement processing of fixing the leg to a lock mechanism and processing of switching the transmission destination of the driving force from the drive unit from the leg to the wheel by the clutch are executed. 
     
     
         10 . The traveling robot according to  claim 1 , wherein the control unit executes, in drive switching from the wheel driving to the leg driving, acceleration control when executing the wheel driving before the drive switching, by considering a decrease in velocity in a period in which processing of switching the transmission destination of the driving force from the drive unit from the wheel to the leg by the clutch and leg movement processing of releasing the leg locked and grounding the leg are executed. 
     
     
         11 . A traveling robot control method executed by a traveling robot,
 the traveling robot including
 a drive unit, 
 a clutch configured to switch a transmission destination of a driving force from the drive unit, 
 a leg and a wheel that are configured to be driven by the driving force from the drive unit, and 
 a control unit, 
   wherein the control unit executes, in drive switching between leg driving and wheel driving, travel velocity control before the drive switching such that a travel velocity after the drive switching is substantially equal to a travel velocity before the drive switching.   
     
     
         12 . A program for causing a traveling robot to execute traveling robot control,
 the traveling robot including
 a drive unit, 
 a clutch configured to switch a transmission destination of a driving force from the drive unit, 
 a leg and a wheel that are configured to be driven by the driving force from the drive unit, and 
 a control unit, 
   wherein the program causes the control unit to execute, in drive switching between leg driving and wheel driving, travel velocity control before the drive switching such that a travel velocity after the drive switching is substantially equal to a travel velocity before the drive switching.